After this call, she was contacting a PI. Then she took a deep breath. Hell, she didn’t know any. And she didn’t want to risk contacting one who wasn’t a wolf.
Jade grabbed her phone and saw the caller was Rafe. After she said hello, she practically held her breath.
“Do you want to go for a run?”
She sagged with profound relief, glad he hadn’t discovered the reason she was here. “Sorry, I jogged down the beach and just had my shower.”
“But no breakfast?”
“You’ll miss your jog. You’d get all out of shape, and I couldn’t allow that to happen.”
He laughed. “Then come with me.”
“Once per morning is enough for me. We can run again tonight if you’d like and don’t have any other plans.”
“All right. I can go for a swim and you could join me. What time do you want to come over for breakfast?”
She let out her breath, wishing that she could see him for different reasons. Although she could imagine Toby being a major turnoff for Rafe if he had been here with her. She couldn’t do this anymore. She’d tossed and turned all night, running different scenarios through her mind. Rafe would probably know a wolf who was a certified PI. But could she ask without him learning why she needed one? She had to risk it.
She swallowed hard. “Rafe…I-I need to ask you something.”
He didn’t say anything, and she was afraid the line had gone dead.
She gritted her teeth. She couldn’t let him know she was about to break down over this. “Are you still there?” she asked, her voice softer than she wanted it to be. She almost wished the connection had been lost. If her brother knew what she was going to do…
“Yeah.” Rafe’s voice was dark, gruff.
She took a deep, steadying breath. She truly was risking everything by doing this, but she didn’t trust her brother. She was scared for Toby. She was worried about the doctor. She needed to try to resolve this herself. “I have…kind of a problem.”
Again, complete silence. Did he know?
Her heart in her throat, Jade paced across the floor. “I need…I need to hire a private investigator. But I don’t know any. Not who are wolves. I hoped you might know of one.” She was trying so hard not to sound like she was falling apart, but the tears were already welling up in her eyes, and despite how hard she was trying to keep them at bay, they began spilling down her cheeks. She didn’t want him to know how upset she was. Or how grave a situation her son could be in.
“What’s this all about, Jade?”
“It’s…it’s personal. I just…”
“I’m coming over to get you.”
“No, I just…” She should have known Rafe would want to take charge, when she couldn’t have him involved. She had to do this on her own. Make it look from all outward appearances like she was doing what Kenneth had told her to do. She was afraid Rafe would act differently around her, like he knew what was going on. Only, her PI would be searching for Toby to rescue him, and then she would vanish with her son like she had done before.
“I’m coming over,” Rafe said again. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“No. I’ll… I’ll…” She broke down and sobbed. Damn it.
* * *
Not in a million years had Rafe expected this. Not that he knew what “this” was, but he was damn well going to learn the truth. Why the hell did Jade need a PI, and why was she sobbing her heart out, unable to say anything more?
Damn it to hell. He was rushing out of the kitchen, phone to his ear, when he saw Edward coming from the front of the house.
“Hold on,” Rafe said to Jade. He covered the mouthpiece. “Edward, I’m headed over to the bed-and-breakfast. Jade needs a PI, and she’s sobbing her heart out.”
“She’s in some kind of trouble then.”
“Or it’s all a ploy to catch my interest by pretending something terrible is happening and then reeling me right in,” Rafe said, heading out to the garage.
“Okay, Boss. You just let me know how you want me to handle this.”
“For now, just keep out of sight. I think she’ll feel freer to talk to me if we’re alone. I’ll call you as soon as I know what’s going on.”
“You got it. Do you want me to tell Sebastian too?”
“Yeah, let him know I need privacy for a while.”
“Gotcha.”
Rafe got in his car and peeled out of the garage and down the driveway. “Jade, listen. Whatever it is, we’ll work it out. I’m on my way. Talk to me.”
The phone clicked dead in his ear.
Shit.
He sped down the road, frantic to reach her, hoping this really wasn’t some part of a game plan. He’d sworn he’d never again be taken in by a crying woman after he’d had the misfortune to date one who cried at whim. But Jade’s sobs wrenched at his gut. What would cause that kind of heartbreak?
He’d bet his first million bucks that her little boy, Toby, was at the root of the heartbreak. And that it was very real. Not part of her game plan at all. And it was scaring Jade to pieces.
As soon as he pulled into the parking lot at the bed-and-breakfast, he saw Jade’s car. Relieved that she hadn’t taken off, he stalked into the inn and tried to mask his growly wolf side when he saw Fiona at the check-in counter. She smiled sweetly, but hell, he couldn’t manage anything more than a growled “Morning.”
Then he tore up the stairs to Jade’s room.
He was trying damn hard to rein in his temper, and he didn’t have time for niceties. He just hoped Fiona wasn’t ready to call the police, saying some enraged billionaire was about to terrorize one of her guests.
He banged on the door before he thought better of hitting it so hard. “Jade, it’s me. Let me in.”
He wanted to take her to his place. He was worried that the bed-and-breakfast’s walls were too thin for the discussion that was about to take place.
She didn’t answer the door.
“Damn it, Jade,” he said, growling, but his voice was much softer in volume now, hopefully low enough that Fiona couldn’t hear him. “Open up. I’m not leaving until you do.”
He heard footfalls on the stairs and turned his glower in that direction.
Fiona.
He had to give her credit for looking worried about her guest and brave enough to approach him.
“Is there something wrong, Mr. Denali?” Fiona asked, her words soft and polite.
“Nah. We can’t agree on what to eat for breakfast.” He gave Fiona a small smile.
She looked worriedly at the door.
“The door’s unlocked, Rafe,” Jade said, sounding like she was calling from the bathroom.
“The door’s unlocked,” he told Fiona, as if she hadn’t heard Jade say it already, to remind the manager that he was there by invitation, not in coercion.
“She likes fruit…for breakfast,” Fiona said. “When she eats here. If either of you need anything…”
“Nah, we’re fine. The door’s unlocked. Sorry for all the racket.” He waited for her to leave.
Fiona hesitated and nodded, then slowly descended the stairs, clearly reluctant to leave.
Rafe let himself in, locking the door behind him. He instantly smelled a male wolf’s scent in the room. Was it her brother, or one of the men of his pack?
Rafe found her sitting on the porch, overlooking the gardens and the beach.
“I’d prefer to discuss this at my place. Less of a chance for anyone to overhear what’s going on,” he said, standing behind her, trying not to intrude in her space.
She was dabbing her eyes and cheeks, and blowing her nose, just staring out at the vista.
He had to remind himself she could still be one hell of an actress, but he really didn’t believe it. He took in a deep breath and pulled her from the chair and into his arms. “Jade,” he said softly.
And she sobbed all over his bare chest. Hell, in his rush, he’d left the house wearing only his board shorts.
&nb
sp; * * *
Rafe spent an hour trying to calm Jade down enough that he could take her back to his place. She’d even wanted to walk down the beach to avoid Fiona, but Rafe wouldn’t hear of it.
“Everyone has meltdowns like this from time to time,” he reassured her.
She looked up at him with red, teary eyes.
“Well, when I do it, I do more ranting and raving than sobbing.”
That earned him a little smile. He was dying to learn what the matter was.
“Whatever this is all about, we’ll deal with it, all right?”
“Breakfast,” Jade said, giving a cute little snort as she remembered what he’d told Fiona to explain the difficulty between them.
“Hell, I’m not really good at coming up with a story when a woman I care about is sobbing her heart out behind a locked door.”
“It wasn’t locked.”
Rafe smiled. “I didn’t know that at first.” For an hour, he’d held her on his lap, just comforting her, watching the seagulls, listening to her heart beating, feeling the heat of her body pressed against him in the warm summer breeze. He hoped to hell they could work it all out. Whatever it was.
“We can stay here until nightfall, if you’d like, but I’d really like to get you to my place and take care of this as quickly as possible.”
She began to move off his lap, and Rafe realized he should have said that earlier. Then again, she hadn’t seemed to hear much of anything he was saying before.
He was on his feet right away, following her into the room, and then locking the door to the balcony. He stopped her before they got very far. “Why don’t we grab a bag of your things?”
She glanced up at him, seemingly confused.
“I think you should stay the night at my place.” He didn’t want to push any further than that. “If you decide you don’t want to, no problem. But if you decide you’d rather not be alone, then you’ll be all set.”
Jade nodded and began to pack a bag. As soon as she pulled out some of her intimate apparel, two thoughts came to his mind: Did she design them? And wouldn’t she look great modeling them.
He couldn’t help himself. He wanted her, and there was no fighting the attraction.
As soon as she was packed, Rafe took her bag and her arm. “If you want, I’ll do all the talking.”
He was afraid Jade might dissolve into tears again if she had to say anything to Fiona. He assumed Jade would fall apart when she finally told him what this was about. He just didn’t want her to feel any more embarrassed when she left the inn than he knew she already was.
He walked her down the stairs, and Jade actually managed a smile for Fiona. “See you later,” she said, her voice sounding like she’d been crying for some time.
Fiona looked sympathetic but unsure of what to say. “Hope you get to feeling better.” She turned her gaze on Rafe, giving him a look that said he’d better not be the one who had upset Jade.
He smiled, kind of. “She’ll feel better in the morning.”
Fiona raised her brows.
Aww, hell. He realized now that she thought he was planning to make love to Jade. While he’d like that, it would mean a mating, and he wasn’t going there.
After that, he loaded Jade and her bag into the car—no sign of the paparazzi, thankfully—and zipped down the road for home. He had the top up, in case Jade wanted to talk, but she looked exhausted and just stared out the window. He knew whatever it was weighed heavily on her mind. And he was certain it had to do with her son.
When they got home, he carried her bag and led her into the house, her hand in his, and set her bag in the guest room. He had no intention of her going back to the bed-and-breakfast tonight.
“Do you want to eat breakfast or an early brunch?”
She shook her head.
“Tea? Coffee?”
“Water?” she asked.
He got her a bottle of water and a box of tissues, which made her smile. Then he took her to sit in the den where she could see the beach.
He settled next to her. “Okay, tell me why you need a PI.”
Chapter 7
When Rafe had arrived at her room at the inn, he’d been wearing blue board shorts and nothing else. Which had surprised Jade. And, she suspected, Fiona too. Jade guessed he’d been getting ready to go swimming. He must have been so concerned about her that he just dropped everything and came to her aid. She had to appreciate him for that.
She hadn’t expected him to nearly break down the door of the room, when she’d already unlocked it for him. She hated how she had fallen to pieces. Even now with him sitting next to her on the sofa in the den, rubbing her arm consolingly, she wasn’t sure if she’d made a mistake in asking him for the name of a PI. She hadn’t planned to tell him what was going on. She didn’t want to get him involved. Didn’t want her brother to get wind of it. Hated what Rafe would think if he knew the reason she was here.
“Can you give me a name and not ask what this is all about?” Jade asked, wiping her eyes.
Frowning, Rafe looked down at her. “I can give you half a dozen names, all damn good PIs and all wolves, but, Jade, whatever is going on with you, I’m serious about wanting to help. I have no intention of stepping back and letting you run this show on your own if you’re in trouble.”
She clammed up.
“Okay¸ let’s just talk. Have you been seeing a wolf?” Rafe’s dark brows rose in question.
Did he think she was mated? Great. “No. As soon as a wolf knows I design intimate wear for women, he wants me to model them for him. And he wants to know my finances.”
Rafe smiled a little, then frowned. “Kind of like women with me—as far as the finances go. Not about modeling intimate wear.”
She loved that he could cheer her up a bit.
“Except that the women I’ve dated, mostly for charity functions, are human. I haven’t run into any she-wolves in my line of business.”
She let out her breath. “Other than my brother’s pack, I haven’t really met any other wolves.”
Rafe didn’t say anything, and she imagined he was trying to figure out the puzzle of her life. Then finally he said, “My brother, Aidan, is looking for wolf packs that he can take blood samples from so he can try to unlock the clues to why our aging process has sped up so much. If he hasn’t located your wolf pack yet, I’m certain he would like to talk to the leader to see if the members would consent to having their blood tested.”
Her heart rate increased. She knew Rafe heard it accelerate. “Dr. Aidan Denali?” She realized then that she wouldn’t be able to pretend she didn’t know him if she met him at the ball. He probably wouldn’t remember her, but she couldn’t risk it. All Rafe would have to say to his brother was “Did you take samples from Jade’s pack?” And when Aidan answered in the affirmative, her wolf would be cooked.
“Yes, he came to our pack in Amarillo and took samples from us,” she said honestly.
Rafe nodded. She thought he looked sterner again.
“You asked if he was in the same business as me yesterday.” Rafe sounded suspicious.
She wasn’t meant for spy missions. “A doctor can be an investor too. They usually have income to invest, and what better way to do so than with someone you trust? You, his brother, would know all the ins and outs.”
“True.” But Rafe didn’t look any less tense or harsh. “I wanted to ask if you could come to a charity ball I’m having here a few days from now. The place will be packed, but you’ve already met my brother, and you know me, so that will be two people you know, at least. Derek can visit with you too to help keep you company. Wolves need to stick together.”
She couldn’t look at him. She was going to leave all of this behind once the PI found her son. No way would Rafe want to deal with a kid who was human, no matter how much he might think he liked her.
“About the PI?” Maybe if she kept pressing, he wouldn’t insist on the details.
But Rafe asked, “So what do you
think about our aging process speeding up?”
Jade was studying him, trying to get a feeling for what he was thinking. Did he already know why she was here? Why else would he bring that up? “I try to enjoy every day to the fullest and not worry about what may come.” She wiped her eyes again. She was being completely truthful.
“I think that too many of us were so used to having so many years to live that we squandered our lives away and didn’t appreciate our time here. We’re still aging more slowly than humans, about five years to their one year. But having fewer years to live forces us to take chances that we might not otherwise.”
“Like courting a wolf you might not have?”
“Maybe.”
“So you’re all right with the notion we’re not going to have the wolf fountain of youth any longer?” Rafe asked, still looking like he wasn’t sure he believed her.
“Yes, I am.” If he knew why she was here, did he think she wanted this?
“And your brother?”
She looked down at the bottle of water in her hands. “He’s like others who would like to live forever.”
“If Aidan found a formula to allow us to have our longevity back, would you be happy with that?”
“I believe our kind was fortunate to have the longevity when we needed it. In other words, we needed time to increase our numbers, ensuring our species survived. Now that there are more of us, we don’t need to live as long as before. I really am fine with it the way it is. I think it was hardest as young adults because we were like twenty for decades. And we had to change our identities or move because we weren’t aging as fast as humans.”
He let out his breath. “Same here.”
“What about you? Do you want Aidan to change us back the way we were?” she asked, curious.
“I’m like you. I’m perfectly fine with the way things are. Keeping up the charade can be really complicated, though I have to admit I learned and did a lot of things I wouldn’t have been able to, had our longevity been much shorter.” He took hold of her hand, cold from the bottle of water. “You do know that Aidan isn’t trying to find a way to restore our longevity, right?”